Charged Magazine

The Geneva International Motor Show may have lost some of its former glamor – several major brands are not attending this year – but it remains a good place to get a feel for the state of the European auto industry. And the Europeans are talking electrification – the New …read more

Research firm Adamas Intelligence has reported that 93 percent of all passenger EVs sold in 2018 used permanent magnet (PM) traction motors, an increase of 1 percent from 2017.
PM traction motors use neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets in the rotor, which spin the rotor in response to a rotating …read more

Israel-based VisIC Technologies, a manufacturer of gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductor devices for the auto, data center and industrial markets, has published a reference design aimed at the EV industry for its on-board charger (OBC) that uses its GaN technology.
The 6.7 kW OBC has a volume of 2.3 liters and …read more

Bus manufacturer New Flyer has announced the Xcelsior CHARGE H2, a new hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty bus. The bus comes in 40-foot and 60-foot models, both of which have completed the Federal Transit Administration’s Model Bus Testing program in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
The CHARGE H2 will have a range of up to …read more

Fisker Inc., the new automaker that rose from the ashes of the former Fisker Automotive, has announced that it plans to build “an affordable SUV powered by an enhanced +80 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that pushes the limit – with a range of close to 300 miles.”
Fisker’s ESUV will be …read more

ABB is partnering with Volvo Bus and Birmingham Airport in the UK to launch a passenger transport service in and around the airport beginning in November 2019. The service will include six Volvo 7900e electric single-deck buses.
The buses will be in operation 24/7, and each will be recharged en route …read more

The Canadian government has released a new budget that includes a $5,000 incentive for EV purchases (the provinces of Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia already offer incentive programs). However, the price of eligible vehicles is limited to $45,000, which excludes all currently available Tesla models.
The proposed budget reads (as reported …read more

German reinsurance company Munich Re is now offering insurance that covers battery performance. It is primarily aimed at large projects, such as utility systems designed to ensure grid stability or cover peak demand periods. In a second phase, Munich Re plans to introduce the product into the mobility market, including …read more

A team of scientists that includes researchers at the DOE’s Brookhaven National Lab and SLAC National Accelerator Lab has identified the causes of degradation in nickel-rich materials for lithium-ion battery cathodes, as well as possible remedies.
Researchers at Brookhaven are part of a DOE-sponsored consortium called Battery500, a group that is …read more

Kia has partnered with Amazon to provide EV and PHEV customers a one-stop shop for home chargers and installation services. On its website, Amazon will highlight Level 2 chargers selected by Kia and provide pricing for electrical services. Customers will be able to schedule installations directly via Amazon.
Kia Executive Director …read more